The previous owners of our house had sky and left the dish in place.I have been given an old (fully working) skydigi box (Sony) with viewing card.Can I connect this to the dish.If so How?I have been told it is easy ,but most people do talk rubbish!

Robert Timms, April 2009

i have a sky box but need a veiwing card can you help

mark radwell, August 2009

Yes uit is easy. Just do it.

However, Theresa's answer is not quite correct as far as Sky Viewing Cards and Freesat are concerned.

Without a Viewing Card, any Sky box will receive all the Free to Air (unencrypted) channels.

Any old Sky Viewing Card will allow you to view all the Free to View channels. (That is to say, those that are encrypted but do not require a Sky subscription.) If it has not been used for some time, it can take up to three days in the box to 'come alive'. As you have a card you do not need to buy a 'Freesat from Sky' (NOT Freesat - see below) card from Sky.

Alternatively you could buy a Freesat (Freesat not BBCFreesat) receiver (about £50) or Freesat HD receiver (about £100) which will, plug right in and receive all of the Freesat Channels. www.freesat.co.uk/ The advantage of this approach is that the EPG is better than using the Sky EPG.

T, April 2009

Just run a length of cable from the dish to the receiver using F-Connectors... The viewing card probably wont pick up anything other than the freesat channels, you may need to call freesat for a card that costs £20 for 2-3 years viewing.
Alternativley you could purchase a BBCfreesat box and hook it up with no extra cost.

T

Theresa, April 2009